


Eternal Question (Infamous Answer)

by Tallihensia



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M, Romance, Silly, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-18
Updated: 2012-03-18
Packaged: 2017-11-02 03:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/364310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tallihensia/pseuds/Tallihensia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Answers to that of some of life's eternal questions... at least for teenagers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eternal Question (Infamous Answer)

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** Only mine in my dreams. ^^ This story was written for free entertainment purposes only and may not be reproduced for profit or altered without permission.
> 
>  **Warnings:** none
> 
>  **Spoilers:** none
> 
>  **Notes:** Set mid-Season 2. For CLFF 42, The Answer (which was way back in last year and I totally forgot about posting this until now; oops).  
> Cross-posted to [my livejournal](http://alatrific.livejournal.com/38767.html)

# Eternal Question (Infamous Answer)

The sound of a smooth engine caught Clark's attention and he focused on the door.

Chloe interrupted her conversation with Pete to also glance up. "Oh look, it's Lex."

Pete glanced around. "Where?"

"Not yet, but Clark has his Lexdar look on."

That pulled Clark's attention away. "My what?"

"You know how some people have gaydar? Well, Clark always knows when Lex is coming so he's got Lexdar."

"There's a bad pun in there somewhere," Pete remarked, "but I think I'll leave it alone."

"I do not!" Clark spoke over Pete. He could feel his blush starting to creep up over his face.

The bell over the Talon door rang and Lex walked in.

Pete shook his head slowly, even as Lex did a pan of the room and found them. "Clark, buddy," Pete sighed, "I just don't know if I can save you from this one."

Clark blushed harder as Chloe laughed and Lex walked up to them. 

Lex had a half-grin on his face that almost begged to be let into the joke and the fun yet at the same time had a slightly rueful knowledge that he wouldn't be. 

That rueful part made Clark want to jump out and tell Lex anything and everything. But in this case... no. "Hi Lex," he said brightly, trying not to blush too much more.

"Hi Clark," Lex's voice purred over the hot skin of the blush and soothed it. Lex nodded at Clark's tablemates. "Chloe, Pete."

"Hi Lex," they parroted back, Chloe still with a grin on her face.

Lex pulled out a chair near Clark and sat down.

Breaking off from a nearby table, Lana came over and asked for Lex's order. He asked for his usual and she went off to get it.

They chatted for a few minutes about how school was, the plant, the latest mutant sighting, and then Lana came back with Lex's drink and refills for all of them. She sat next to Chloe and asked, "Have you gotten around to asking yet?"

Chloe grinned. "I was saving it for you."

The other two boys at the table groaned. "Oh, not this again..."

Lex looked curious.

With a smirk at Lana, Chloe leaned forward, her attention on Lex. "So, Lex... what's your answer to the eternal question?"

"42?" Lex questioned the assumption.

Chloe lifted her cup to him in a half-salute. She waited until he was taking a sip, then declared in a challenge, "Boxers or briefs."

To much of their dismay, Lex didn't choke on his drink. He finished swallowing and set it down, a wicked smile dancing about his lips. "Ah. That eternal question. How have the answers gone for everybody else?"

Lana and Chloe both scowled. "They won't answer."

"Some things, my dear, are not to be answered, but to be speculated upon." Lex ran his eyes over the girls' bodies, as much of them as he could see at the table. "What are your answers?"

Chloe snorted, "Well, it's certainly not boxers."

"Girls don't wear boxers or briefs," Clark put in.

"Well..." Lana drawled out, causing Lex to shut his mouth upon whatever it was he was going to say, and the instant attention of the other guys.

"You do?" Pete was fascinated.

Lana grinned, "For girls, it would be grannies or thongs, but same basic concept – loose or tight."

"Thongs?" Pete's gaze grew distant as he obviously was pleasantly imagining it.

Chloe shrugged. "The edges are always running up the butt cracks anyhow; might as well save a step and go to thongs."

"And that answers the question for Chloe," Lex murmured into his drink with a grin.

Again, Chloe tilted her cup at him. "At this rate, I'm going to have to start scoring some points of my own."

"I'm sure you were the points leader long before I walked in."

The boys winced while Lana laughed. 

Lex's grin grew a little wider. "Even if they didn't answer, what were the conclusions?" 

"Pete wears briefs," Chloe promptly said. "And Clark... probably wears boxers."

"Probably?" Lex's gaze went to Clark, drifting up and down him like he had with the girls. 

Clark blushed.

"Pete likes the girls, so he's image-conscious and would be after the appearance rather than the comfort. He's undoubtedly got the tightest little briefs there are, in colors and patterns sure to impress those who get a glimpse of them."

"Hey!" Pete's indignant squawk was overlaid by Clark's bark of laughter, having seen Pete enough times in the locker room to know how accurate the description was.

"And Clark?" Lex's gaze hadn't really moved away.

"Clark likes comfort," Chloe said, even as she leaned back into her chair and also eyed Clark. "However... I suspect a third option."

Lex's grin grew wider and it was Lana's turn to blush. "Chloe!"

"What? It's valid! Not during gym days, I'm sure, but otherwise..."

"I can see why you didn't answer," Lex murmured to Clark.

"Um," Clark buried his face into his drink and tried to hide.

"So," Chloe moved on, "What's your answer, Lex?"

Lex leaned back in his chair and contemplated Chloe. The two looked very alike as they sat there across from each other. Challenge, grins, the joy of the chase, the complexity of the answers, the drive to know even the silliest things. 

"Lana wears grannies," Lex proclaimed.

Lana choked a bit on her drink and went red.

"Except during the cheer-leading stage, for much the same reason as Clark," Lex added. "She's aware of fashion, but would by preference rather go her own route. Outside, she conforms... inside, Lana goes her own route."

"That... almost sounded like a compliment," Lana remarked, obviously torn as to whether to keep blushing or not.

"It is," Lex assured her. "Doing what you want is the more important thing." He turned to arch an eyebrow at Chloe. "And I?"

"You wear briefs, though you'd prefer commando," Chloe instantly shot back. 

Lex paused for a moment, then tilted his cup at her. "Bravo."

"Your pants are too tailored for boxers, and commando would be remarked on, so you're left with the only sensible course. You conform everywhere it will be seen, though you'd rather be free and unconfined."

Lex winced just enough to be noticeable.

"Um, sorry," Chloe backed off, sounded rueful.

"No need to be sorry for good observations and instincts," Lex smiled, though it didn't quite hit his eyes all the way.

Clark slipped his hand out under the table until he could touch Lex's knee. Lex didn't look at him, but he relaxed and the smile became more real. 

"So, how far did you take the question this morning?" Lex asked.

They laughed and started telling some of their guesses for the rest of Smallville, turning periodically to try their descriptions out on other patrons of the Talon. Clark couldn't help himself and peeked now and then to check. He was surprised at how often they got it right. He'd always thought underwear was a private thing.

Later that day, Lex drove Clark home and followed him up into the loft.

"So, Clark," Lex murmured, his hands drifting under Clark's shirt to touch the bare skin. "Boxers or commando?"

Clark breathed in the scent of Lex surrounding him and pulled Lex in tight, feeling the outline of briefs under Lex's pants. "Care to find out?" Clark asked Lex, even as he licked along Lex's neck.

"I do," Lex replied, his hands questing lower and lower. Then they moved up, undoing Clark's buttons. "But a little bit of mystery along the way never hurts."

They had their answer that night as they lay together, the starlight streaming in through the loft window.

"Commando is a good look on you." And Lex went back to exploring what wasn't there.

  


* * *

  


END


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